Scott Thorman Named Blue Rocks New Manager

2019 Staff Includes Return of Steve Luebber and Addition of Larry Sutton

By Matt Janus / Wilmington Blue Rocks | January 7, 2019 10:39 AM

Wilmington, DE-- The Kansas City Royals announced on Monday that Scott Thorman will be the new manager of the Wilmington Blue Rocks in 2019. Thorman, who is the 15th manager in team history, replaces Darryl Kennedy who was promoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

Thorman managed the Lexington Legends to a South Atlantic League crown last season. He spent two years as the skipper in Lexington after managing Burlington from 2015-16.

The 36-year-old Cambridge, Canada native played two years of Major League Baseball with the Atlanta Braves in 2006 and 2007. In 177 games Thorman hit 16 homers, had 45 total extra-base hits and drove in 50 runs. He played professionally for 12 total seasons, also spending time in the minors with the Royals, Rangers and Tigers organizations.

Steve Luebber will join Thorman as the Blue Rocks' pitching coach in 2019, after spending the last two seasons in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. It will mark his 14th year in the Royals' organization and his 10th as a coach with Wilmington. He is the longest tenured coach in Blue Rocks history.

Larry Sutton has rejoined the Royals' organization and will serve as hitting coach in Wilmington. A draft pick by the Royals, Sutton previously served as the hitting coach for Kansas City's Dominican League squad from 2008-11. He also held positions in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization as the Dominican field coordinator and minor league hitting coordinator in the interim. Sutton played for the Blue Rocks in 1994 and hit a team-record 26 home runs that season.

Saburo Hagihara will be in his first season with the Blue Rocks as the certified athletic trainer and his 10th overall in the organization.

Kennedy will be joined in Double-A by former Blue Rocks hitting coach Abraham Nunez and former Wilmington pitching coach Doug Henry. James Stone, who had been the Blue Crew's athletic trainer since 2012 has been promoted to Triple-A Omaha.

The Blue Rocks open the 2019 season at home on Thursday, April 4 against the Salem Red Sox. Season seats, mini plans and group packages for the upcoming campaign are available now at BlueRocks.com.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.